THE Laguna, Philippines-based Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and Kasetsart University (KU) in Thailand have officially signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to launch the KU–SEARCA Joint Graduate Scholarship Program.
Through the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Faculty of Economics at KU, the agreement strengthens the shared commitment of SEARCA and KU to cultivating highly trained professionals in agriculture and resource economics across Southeast Asia.
SEARCA Center Director Mercedita Sombilla and KU Acting President Damrong Sripraram led the signing of the MOA, which establishes a three-year collaborative scholarship program beginning in academic year (AY) 2026/2027 and running through AY 2028/2029.
Under the MOA, Southeast Asian nationals will be awarded scholarships to pursue a PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics at KU.
SEARCA said the initiative aims to "bolster the capacities of individuals and their home institutions, contributing to sustainable agricultural and rural development as well as evidence-based policy advancement." Both SEARCA and KU will jointly provide financial support for the scholars throughout the program.
By focusing on higher education and leadership, SEARCA said that the agreement directly articulates its focus on people under its 12th Five-Year Development Plan, which prioritizes the empowerment of agriculture stakeholders as the primary catalysts for regional transformation.
Sombilla said KU and SEARCA have had a long-standing partnership under the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources, or UC, established by SEARCA in 1989.
She added that KU continues to serve as lead for the UC's second collaborative project funded by the Erasmus+ program under its Capacity Building in Higher Education or CBHE component.
Sombilla explained that while SEARCA and KU have collaborated on various initiatives over the years, this KU-SEARCA Joint Graduate Scholarship Program is the first partnership between the two institutions specifically for joint scholarships.
SEARCA said the signing of the new MOA for a joint KU-SEARCA scholarship solidifies the commitment of both institutions to advancing agricultural education and research in Southeast Asia.